why aren't concept2 rowers producing electricity... ??

jeff burlingham · Post by **jeff burlingham** » January 21st, 2007, 9:19 pm

While rowing an easy 200 hundred watts and sitting right next to an empty outlet... that the tread mill used to drain from... Why hasn't a generator been the next step in ergonomics?? Plug me in... Peaceful Warrior.

Nosmo · Post by **Nosmo** » February 9th, 2007, 8:55 pm

If your generating 200W and your electricity costs say $0.16 per KWh, then you will generate about one dollar worth of electricity after 30 hours of rowing. How much are you will to pay for that privledge?

Actually where I live, if I rowed indoors it would save a little more money by rowing to heat my house then to generate electricity!

DavidA · Post by **DavidA** » February 14th, 2007, 6:03 pm

But you could keep a couple of table lamps lit while you row.

David

Sean Seamus · Post by **Sean Seamus** » February 19th, 2007, 5:41 pm

could you really ? keep a lamp glowing ?

I think that would be neat and fun, and a clear challenge to achieve, for both steady state and interval work.

Another real-time measure of output would be a feather or similar light object being kept aloft in a tube with air blowing underneath it.

somedays the cool digital readout of watts and imaginary meters seems pale and bloodless

let me know when the lamp-glow system is ready - I'm a client

yehster · Post by **yehster** » February 21st, 2007, 11:02 pm

You can use the energy for something more practical. Specifically cooling yourself

This is touted as a fan replacement.

http://www.ps-sport.net/CB_main.htm

You'll get instant feedback when your wattage drops

The problem with trying to get a bulb lit is how to efficiently convert the wind speed to electricty without effecting the feel of the erg. Simply hooking up a generator to the fly wheel isn't going to cut it. Kind of like how cyclists complain/compare about the different types of trainers out there (wind vs. magnetic vs. fluid.)